Lux Lucet

For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, that each one may receive the things done in the body, according to what he has done, whether good or bad. – 2 Cor. 10:5

The Bible asserts, and Christians hold, that sinners are justified by belief alone in Christ Jesus. Good works play no part in salvation. But if good works do not save us, what then is their purpose?

Glorify God

One answer to this question is that good works glorify God. Paul put it this way, “Therefore, whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God” (1 Cor. 10:31). Echoing this idea, the Westminster Shorter Catechism tells us that part of man’s chief end is to glorify God. When we do good works, not only do we glorify God, but we prompt others to do the same. Jesus said, “Let you lifth so shine before men, that they may see your good works and glorify your Father in heaven” (Matt. 5:16).

Please God

Second, and closely related to this idea, is that good works please God. Atheist writer Christopher Hitchens was fond of challenging Christians to, “Name me an ethical statement made or an action performed by a believer that could not have been made or performed by a non-believer.” Hitchens, apparently impressed with his own cleverness, even boasted that no one had been able to answer him. In truth, the answer is simple. Christians can please God. This, the unbeliever can never do.

That men ought to please God is basic to Christian ethics. Peter summarized this idea when replying to the Sanhedrin he stated, “We ought to obey God rather than men.” We please God when we walk in his ways, and keep his statues and hold fast his precepts. Addressing the Thessalonians, Paul wrote, ” Finally then brethren, we urge and exhort in the Lord Jesus that you should abound more and more, just as you received from us how you ought to walk and to please God” (1 Thes. 4:1). And how does one walk in such a way as to please God? The author of Hebrews tells us it is by faith. “But without faith it is impossible to please Him” (Heb. 11:6).

On the other hand, the unbelieving mind, by definition, does not exercise faith and, therefore, cannot please God. Paul puts it this way, “So then, those who are in the flesh cannot please God” (Rom. 8:8). And not only is it impossible for the carnal mind to please God, it is in a state of hostility with him, “Because the carnal mind is enmity against God, for it is not subject to the law of God, nor indeed can be. The rebellion of the unbeliever is such that his normal, daily activities constitute sin in the eyes of God. Proverbs tells us that even the plowing of the wicked is sin (Prov. 21:4).

Degrees of Heavenly Reward

Third, God rewards good works. Our good works are not the ground of our salvation. Our law-keeping, even at its best, is sin-stained. Isaiah calls our righteous works filthy rags. Even so, God in his goodness is pleased to reward them. This may sound strange to some Christians, many of whom seem to labor under the notion Christians do good works out of duty. The notion that God provides incentives to his people to do good works is a foreign concept to many.

But consider the case of Christ. Even Jesus himself underwent the sufferings of the cross, not out of a Kantian sense of duty, but for the reward the Father promised to him. The author of Hebrews exhorts us to look, “unto Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith, who for the joy that was set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame.” Isaiah puts it this way, “He shall see the labor of His soul, and be satisfied” (Isa. 53:11).

The author of Hebrews says that God is a rewarder of those who diligently seek him (Heb. 11:6). And the passage under consideration here, 2 Cor. 10:5, advances the idea that those rewards are in accordance with one’s work. That is to say, there are degrees of the eternal reward. And the degree of reward enjoyed by the individual Christian will vary in accord with the work he accomplished in life. This is likely a jarring idea to many. For my part, never once in 40 years of attending church have I ever heard a preacher make this point. Never once has the subject of degrees of reward been broached in Sunday School or in any Bible study where I’ve been present.

This is a doctrine that we ignore or downplay at our own peril. It is a commonplace among financial advisors that people spend more time planning their vacation than they do their retirement. How foolish is that? But from my own experience, it seems that many Christians spend more time planning their retirement that they do in considering their eternal reward. Charles Hodge picks up on the idea of good works as investments in his commentary on 2 Cor. 5:10. He writes,

We are said to receive the things done in the body, because the matter is conceived of, or is here represented as an investment. Our acts are treasures laid up for the future, whether treasures of wrath, or treasures in heaven, and these…we receive back.

When faced with temptation to sin or presented with the opportunity to do good, Christians would do well to remember the words of Jesus, who enjoined his disciples to store up treasure in heaven. In the Sermon on the Mount, Christ encouraged those who faced persecution for the sake of righteousness, not with empty platitudes about the nobility of suffering, but with the real incentive of a great reward in heaven. Jesus said, Blessed are you when they revile and persecute you, and say all kinds of evil against you falsely for My sake. Rejoice and be exceedingly glad” (Matt. 5:11, 12). And what reason does Jesus give for rejoicing in what most people would consider difficult and unpleasant circumstances? Jesus tells us, “for great is your reward in heaven.” Perhaps Peter and John had this in mind, when, after taking a beating at the hands of the Sanhedrin, they, “departed from the presence of the council, rejoicing that they were counted worthy to suffer shame for His name” (Acts 5:41).

Degrees of Punishment

Presented along with degrees of reward, 2 Cor. 5:10 also speaks of degrees of punishment. Just as not all Christians will enjoy the same degree of felicity in heaven, so too not all those condemned to hell suffer the same level of punishment. Understanding the Biblical doctrine of degrees of punishment can be helpful in addressing a question often asked of Christians. When confronted by the exclusive claims of Christ, people will sometimes fire back, “well, what about the person living deep in some South American jungle, who has never heard of Jesus. Are you telling me God would send that person to hell?’ The answer is yes, the only way to heaven is through faith in Christ alone. There is no other option. But for the person who had never heard the Gospel, his punishment will be less. Jesus put it this way, “And that servant who knew his master’s will, and did not prepare himself or do according to his will, shall be beaten with many stripes. But he that knew not, and did commit things worth of stripes, shall be beaten with few stripes” (Lk. 12:47, 48).

Conclusion

In conclusion, good works matter. Our good works glorify God and bring honor to his name. Jesus said, “Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works and glorify your Father in heaven” (Matt. 5:16). Our good works please God. Enoch had the testimony that he pleased God. The master in the parable of the talents commended the good and faithful servants by saying, “Enter into the joy of your lord.” Finally, good works determine our heavenly reward. There will be varying degrees of felicity enjoyed by Christians in eternity. And that felicity will be in accord with each one’s work. We are saved by grace alone through faith alone because of Christ alone, but our rewards are according to our works. For this reason, let us be a people zealous for good works, that we may store up treasure in heaven where moth and rust do not destroy, and where thieves do not break in and steal.